Stuffed Shells Ricotta Spinach (Print Version)

Pasta shells filled with ricotta, spinach, herbs, baked in tomato sauce with melted mozzarella topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 20 jumbo pasta shells

→ Filling

02 - 2 cups ricotta cheese
03 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped (or 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained)
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
08 - 1 garlic clove, minced
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Sauce & Topping

11 - 2 cups marinara sauce
12 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, for topping
13 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

# How-To Steps:

01 - Set oven temperature to 375°F.
02 - Boil jumbo pasta shells in salted water until al dente. Drain and arrange on a baking sheet to cool.
03 - In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, spinach, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
04 - Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce evenly in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
05 - Fill each pasta shell with approximately 2 tablespoons of the cheese and spinach mixture. Place shells in the baking dish.
06 - Pour remaining marinara sauce over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
07 - Cover dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden.
09 - Allow dish to rest for 5 minutes before plating.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of comfort food that feels fancy enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight when you want something impressive without stress.
  • Every bite delivers that perfect balance of creamy cheese filling and tangy marinara sauce that somehow tastes even better the next day.
  • Once you master this, you'll find yourself making it again and again because it's the dish people ask you to bring to potlucks.
02 -
  • Don't skip laying the cooked shells out to cool—they're fragile when hot and will tear if you try to stuff them immediately. Taking this extra minute saves frustration.
  • Frozen spinach that isn't properly drained will release water during cooking and make your filling watery and your dish soupy. Seriously, squeeze it dry.
03 -
  • Use a small ice cream scoop to portion the filling into each shell—it's faster than a spoon and gives you consistent, generous fills every time.
  • If your marinara sauce is watery, let it simmer for 5 minutes before using it to concentrate the flavors and remove excess liquid that could make the finished dish soggy.

Go Back